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GM Received Complaints about Missing Bolts Since 2013

Tina Robinson2 years ago

General Motors now says it had received complaints about missing or loose bolts in some of its vehicles since 2013 but classified it as an issue of “customer annoyance,” according to the Detroit News. It was only earlier this month that the automaker made the decision to recall the vehicles.

More than 400,000 GM Vehicles Recalled for Bolt Problem

In an updated filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), GM says that it had received complaints about missing bolts in a pre-production vehicle as well as 27 warranty claims – at least one of involving a rear-end collision.

According to the GM filing:

In April 2013, a GM Engineer at the company’s Proving Grounds in Milford, Conn. identified a noise complaint in a pre-production Buick Regal. The company opened a Problem Resolution Tracking System case and classified the problem as one of “customer annoyance.”

In July 2013, the company learned of a June 28, 2013 crash involving a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro. The owner of the vehicle claimed that the power seat moved forward unintentionally, causing him to rear-end another vehicle. A GM inspection of the vehicle found that the height adjuster spindle bracket bolt had fallen out.

By September 2013, GM had received 27 warranty complaints about loose or missing height adjuster bolts.

GM reopened the investigation in May of this year amid a comprehensive safety review in the wake of the GM ignition recall.

About the GM Recall

GM has now determined that the bolt securing the power front seat height adjuster in certain vehicles can become loose or fall out. When that happens, the seat will drop suddenly and could affect a driver’s ability to operate the vehicle and increase the risk of crash or injury. A formal recall of 414,000 vehicles in the U.S. was announced earlier this month. The recall affects the following makes/models: